Earthquakes' Mehdi Ballouchy Tears Left ACL

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy will miss the rest of the 2012 season after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in Saturday’s 3-3 draw against FC Dallas at Buck Shaw Stadium. He will undergo surgery later this week to repair the damage.

“The news was very disappointing,” said Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop. “Mehdi was just settling in with our squad and was playing very well for us. He’ll be missed, but we know that he’ll be back stronger than ever next season.”

Ballouchy appeared in six games, including four consecutive starts leading up to Saturday’s FC Dallas match, for San Jose since joining the club in a trade with the New York Red Bulls on July 30.

The Earthquakes (18-6-7, 61 pts.) lead the Western Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings with three games remaining. They are one point away from securing the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs and lead Sporting Kansas City (17-7-7, 58 pts.) by three points for the Supporters’ Shield.